


Garden of Shadows

by shadow_seeker



Series: From Dark to Light [1]
Category: Descendants (Disney Movies)
Genre: Childhood Friends to Lovers, Demigod Mal, F/F, Gen, Good Parent Hades, Good parent Persephone, Greek interpretation of Hades, Isle of the Lost (Disney) is a Terrible Place, Magic, Mal raised by Hades, Pre-Canon, Prophecy, References to Ancient Greek Religion & Lore, Turf wars, horrible parents literally every one else, not the disney version, small amount of politics, will add more characters as they come up
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-03-03
Updated: 2021-03-14
Packaged: 2021-03-16 19:03:09
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 8,468
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29829504
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/shadow_seeker/pseuds/shadow_seeker
Summary: Come little children, I'll take you awayInto a land of enchantmentCome little children, the time's come to playHere in my garden of shadowsWith the power of the shadows at her hands and a fire burning in her chest, Mal embarks on a mission to save the children of the Isle just as she had been saved years before.
Relationships: Evie & Jay & Mal & Carlos de Vil, Evie/Mal (Disney)
Series: From Dark to Light [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2192895
Comments: 8
Kudos: 47





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Hi everyone! A few quick things before we get started:
> 
> I have not seen D3 so the only plot point that I am inentionally pulling from that is that Hades is Mal's father. I am basing my characterization of Hades more on my own understanding of Greek Mythology (which I am in no way an expert in, I took one class two years ago and I read Percy Jackson so that's what we're working with). The same goes for Persephone. The references to Greek Mythology a fairly minor but they will have a big effect on the plot. 
> 
> This is going to have Malvie/Mevie/ whatever you call Mal x Evie. They won't be together right off the bat because they are literally children, but this isn't really a slow burn either. I am not set in stone for any of the other ships so feel free to leave a comment telling me who'd you prefer to be together. 
> 
> This is not beta read so if you notice any mistakes, please point them out to me (kindly!) and I will be happy to fix them. 
> 
> I hope you enjoy and happy reading!

It had been many years since Hades had seen the grand halls of Olympus. They were nothing like the realm he had once called home, all shining white pillars and billows of clouds rolling peacefully around. They were again nothing like the realm he was forced to call home now. Hades had gone from the dark, damp underworld that thrived beneath his hand to the barren, forgotten wasteland those idiotic mortals had come to call the Isle of the Lost. Their magic barrier did nothing against his powers, as if a fairy could control a god, but nevertheless Zeus had deemed the punishment appropriate and enforced Hades prolonged imprisonment. Hades was able to use his shadows only within the bounds of the magic barrier, even while in the underground that he had claimed as his own. It was there that he was serving out his punishment for as long as Zeus deemed necessary. 

It wasn’t all bad. For one, Hades was used to living underground surrounded by the dark and twisted souls that were lost before they met their end. Living with the souls of the damned was nothing new. There was also the fact that Hades didn’t need food and water like the mortals did. His immortal life was sustained by ambrosia, which he received a somewhat regular shipment of from Hermes. Happiness wasn’t a concept that Hades was familiar with, but he could at least consider himself content with his Isle home. That is, until a surprise showed up in his home. 

A surprise with purple hair, green eyes, and control over shadows. 

He had always known there was a possibility that the tryst he had with Maleficent could come back and bite him in the ass. The nights he spent with the past Mistress of Evil were nothing more than a transaction, a bodily function that even gods were not immune to. Hades thought that eventually Maleficent would come to him, asking to use his power in her campaign to take over the Isle and, eventually, Auradon. He’d never considered the possibility of a child coming instead. 

The girl was young, though Hades wasn’t able to tell exactly how old she was. He assumed that she was about 3 years old since it had been just a little longer than that since he’d heard from Maleficent, but she was small for her age if that was the case. It was obvious that she hadn’t had enough to eat in her first few years of life and she still shied away from Hades touch when he tried to pick her up. Even now, standing before the gates of Olympus, Hades was only able to hold his daughter because she was sleeping. 

She, Mal he had learned after creeping in the shadows where Maleficent's groupies lurked, was the reason that he had asked for this audience with the Olympians. He could deal with living in hell on earth, but a child didn’t deserve that. No child deserved what life on the Isle would be for them. Hades may not care for any of his so-called family that lived atop Mount Olympus, but he was not a heartless man. If it was within his power to save his daughter from an awful fate, he would do just that. 

Once the gates opened, Hades made his way to the council room and gazed upon the godly forms waiting for him. They were all there, with the exception of Dionysis. Zeus and Hera sat in their proper place in the head of the half-circle formation, befitting of the King and Queen of the gods. Poseidon rested to the left of Zeus with Ares, Apollo, Hephaestus, and Hermes rounding out the half-circle. Athena sat on the other side of Hera, followed by Aphrodite, Demeter, Hestia, and Artemis. Hades approached the thrones of the gods and goddesses, watching as their eyes traced over the sleeping girl in his arms. 

“I must say we did not expect to be called together for you, brother,” Zeus said by way of greeting as Hades stopped in the center of the half-circle. “Though I see now that you are simply full of surprises.” 

“I did not come here for myself, brother,” Hades sees the gazes that linger on his daughter. “I have accepted my punishment, however ridiculous I believe it to be, and I will not dispute your decision. I will return to the Isle of the Lost once we are finished here, I only ask that I return alone.” 

“And who is that you have brought before us?” Hestia asked plainly, the Goddess of the Hearth gazing at her son-in-law with as close to coldness as she can manage. 

“She is my daughter.” 

“Impossible,” Zeus thundered over the din that had begun to rise after Hades’ statement. “You cannot impregnate a human woman, we made sure of that when we imprisoned you.” 

“There are not just humans on the Isle,” Hades stated plainly. “But she is my daughter, she could not have found me otherwise.”

“What do you mean?” Athena demanded, her voice and expression far more impassive than the other Olympians. 

“She came to me through the shadows, I did not know of her existence until I discovered her in my home.” 

“And what of people who are not human on the Isle?” 

“The mortals placed all of their so-called villains on the Isle of the Lost, and not all of those creatures are mortal. Some have the blood of enchanters, some have distant remnants of the blood of Poseiden,” he nodded to the God of the Sea respectfully, “and some have the blood of the fae. This child, she has the blood of a god and of a dragon flowing through her veins.” 

“The daughter of Maleficent, then,” Athena had no trouble putting the pieces together. “An abomination.” 

“She is a child, nothing more, nothing less,” Hades spoke fiercely, a way that he had not spoken for eons. Not since he was bartering for the love of the beautiful Persephone. “She has done nothing wrong.” 

“Not yet, anyway,” Zeus again quieted the rising discussion. “What would you have us do with such a child? She cannot remain on Olympus.” 

“Send her to Auradon, give her to a family that will care for her. Do not imprison her for the crime of being born.” 

“Shall we imprison her for the crime of being yours then?” 

“You can’t be serious.” 

“It is no worse than what you attempted to do to my son,” Zeus reminded harshly, lightning flashing in his eyes. “She is a child now, but she will not remain that way for long.”

“I propose a trial,” Athena stated, an echo of the lightning of her father dancing in the grey of her eyes. “For both you and the child. We are all aware of the state of the Isle of the Lost,” the Olympians nodded in agreement. “If you can raise this child to be pure of heart, despite her parentage and the place she will grow up, perhaps an arrangement can be made.” 

“What kind of arrangement?” Zeus asked. 

“Freedom for the child, and a return to his domain for Hades,” Athena supplied. “If this girl grows up to be pure of heart, to think of others before herself, she will be deemed innocent by our laws. However, this does not account for the mortals. Maleficent may have the blood of the Fae, but she falls under the mortals' domain. We cannot speak for them.” 

“We will not need too,” Apollo spoke up, an echo to his voice letting all of those around him know that he was channeling the Fates and thus speaking a prophecy. “The child will grow and unite fours hearts to one and they will bring the barrier down. The love of the Queen will brighten the Dragon’s Heart, and she will lead them home.” 

A stretch of silence passed during which the girl still sleeping in Hades’ arms shifted slightly, shivering. 

“Uh, sorry, I can usually control those but the Fates wanted it to be heard,” Apollo directed his words to Zeus, who nodded in acknowledgement. 

“The Fates have been heard and we will heed their prophecy,” Zeus turned his stormy gaze on Hades and the girl in his arms. “You will return to the Isle, and your child will return with you. If this prophecy is true, you will both earn your freedom in due time.” 

“Brother, please,-”

“The decision has been made. You will abide by it.” 

The clouds outside the hall darkened with Zeus’ words. Hades watched as the assembled council tensed, awaiting the confrontation that was sure to happen. Hades had never been one to bow to Zeus, or accept his commands, before. Already he could feel the shadows awaiting his call, but he kept them at bay. He still had Mal, he would have Mal until the prophecy came true, and he would not put her in any more unnecessary danger. She was already in danger just from being forced to live on the Isle. 

“Then I guess we’re done here.” Hades didn’t bow or even nod at his siblings. He simply turned his head towards Hermes, the same god that had granted him safe passage from the Isle to Olympus. “Hermes, if you will?” 

Silence rained in the hall of Olympus as Hades and his daughter were carried away by Hermes. 

“Are you certain of this?” Zeus asked Athena. “It is never good to anger a god.” 

“The child will prevail and if she does not, Hades will have been out of his realm for too long. His power is waning already, soon he will not even have the shadows to rely on. If the prophecy does not come true, he will be too weak to retaliate.” 

“Still, it is a risk.” 

“Yes, but a calculated one.” 

Zeus remained silent, dismissing the council with a nod of his head. He lingered in the hall for a while longer, considering all that had happened that day and all that would come to pass. He would have to keep a close eye on the daughter of shadows and dragons. 

**\----**

Hades stepped out of the shadow Hermes had delivered him to, the still slumbering Mal resting against his shoulder. His outrage at the Olympians still simmered beneath his skin, burning like the blue flame that once danced across his skin, turning red with his anger. How dare they do this? It was one thing to punish Hades for the crimes he’d committed long ago, it was another to punish an innocent child just for being born to the wrong parents, or in the wrong place. Really, the Olympians were no better than the selfish mortals that lived freely on the other side of the barrier. 

Hades wouldn’t forget that it was the kings and queens of Auradon that were to blame for his daughter being trapped in the first place. The Olympians were enforcing the banishment on Hades alone, it was the mortals who ensured that everyone else remained trapped on the Isle as well. King Beast probably hadn’t even considered the possibility of the villains reproducing on the Isle, though Hades knew for a fact that Beast now had his own little monster to chase around. 

Making his way to the throne room-a meager replication of his underworld throne and really no more than a slightly less broken than usual chair propped on a stone slab-Hades considered his options. There would be know way to go against the gods, not without access to his full powers, but that didn’t mean that Hades couldn’t plot and plan. The way he saw it, Hades had two options when it came to Mal. 

First, Hades could simply let the child return to her mother. Wipe his hand clean of the issue and let her become whatever monster her mother would make her. She’d be in a place of power that way, the right hand of Maleficent. Her campaign for control of the Isle was only truly contested by Ursula, who still had control of the docks and thus the most reliable food source, to Hades knowledge anyway. Hades had no doubt that if raised by her mother, Mal would grow up as nothing less than a soldier who would be sent to do Maleficent’s dirty work with the aid of the children of Maleficent’s lackeys. She’d be well fed once she was able to fight for the scraps her mother wouldn’t give to her. She’d grow up ruthless, brutal, and cruel. If reared by Maleficent, Mal would grow into the type of girl who could survive on an island full of criminals; cold and uncaring of anyone around her. 

Not the type of girl who could fulfill Apollo’s prophecy, but was the second option really that much better? 

What could Hades offer the child other than darkness and shadows? Mal was only half-god, she couldn’t survive on ambrosia alone, like Hades could, not to mention the struggle of getting her clothing and making sure she had a bed and blankets to rest in. She obviously shared Hades connection to the shadows, had unknowingly used them at least once to travel to Hades himself. That was something that Hades could train her to use. A valuable skill that would ensure that Mal could steal for herself whatever Hades couldn’t provide and a skill that would ensure she could always make it back to their underground lair. Food, relative safety, and power. Those were the things that Hades could offer Mal if he decided to raise her himself. 

But what about the rest of the prophecy? The four hearts united as one? The Queen who would brighten the Dragon’s heart? Hades knew that Mal was the dragon in question, how could she not be when half of her power came from the great dragon Maleficent, but there was no royalty on the Isle. Mal had more of a claim to royalty than most simply because while Hades may be imprisoned, he was still King of the Underworld. All other would-be royals had been stripped of their titles when they were booted off to the Isle. 

Then came the question of the prophecy itself. Hades believed it to be true, but he’d been told prophecies before. Even the most cut and dry ones came true in unexpected ways. Should he tell Mal about the prophecy, when she’s old enough to understand? Should he wait and see if it comes true without his interference? Should he train Mal to ensure that the prophecy came true? Could you train someone to be pure of heart? 

Hades only had an answer to the last question. He couldn’t teach Mal to be pure of heart, that wasn’t a quality that could be taught or learned. He could teach Mal how to fight, how to linger in the shadows. He could train her to be a warrior of the Underworld, the fire of dragons and the shadows of the dead at her command. He could train and prepare her and hope that it will be enough for the girl. 

The last question that Hades had to ponder was perhaps the most important one: could he love his daughter the way children were meant to be loved? 

He cared for Mal, otherwise he wouldn’t have gone to Olympus for her, but care did not always equate to love. Besides that, Hades didn’t have the best experience with children. The last time he’d been free around a child, he’d attempted to murder his nephew. If he was capable of that then, who’s to say he won’t do the same now? Does the distinction of father make all that much of a difference? 

“You always did over think, my love,” a voice, soft and familiar and one that Hades had not heard in many years, slipped through the cave-like room. 

“Persephone,” Hades greeted the woman he’d fallen in love with eons ago, the goddess responsible for the turning of the seasons and the only reason Hades knew he was capable of love in the first place. “How are you here?” 

“The barrier is meant to stop those trapped here from getting out, not keep others from getting in,” Persephone stepped into the dim light, observing her husband and apparent step-daughter. “I must say, I had thought Mother was lying when she told me about this.” 

“I know I’m expected to apologize but I truthfully didn’t think you’d still consider me your husband after all this.” 

“And yet the seasons still change,” Persephone stepped closer. 

“Not here, they don’t.” 

“I suppose not,” Right beside the throne, Persephone was able to look at the sleeping child more closely. Truthfully, she didn’t see any of her husband's features in the child, but she could already see the shadows moving around the girl. She was undeniably Hades’ daughter. “So it is true, you had a child with the dragon.” 

“Unknowingly,” Hades informed her. “I didn’t know about Mal until she arrived here through the shadows.” 

“Why did she do that?” 

“I cannot say for sure, but I have my suspicions. Her mother is not known for her kindness, least of all to children.” 

“Neither are you, Hades. But this child is different, is she not?” Persephone touched the purple hair resting atop Mal’s head, stroking her fingers through it gently. “A child or prophecy, the key to your freedom.” 

“Yes, she is different,” Hades agreed, casting his steel gaze back onto his daughter. “She deserves more than a father like me. A monster.” 

“A god,” Persephone reminded sharply. “You may be banished now, but that will not always be the case. You are still King of the Underworld, just as I am still your Queen. And now, she is our princess.” 

“Ours?” 

“Do you really believe I’d let you raise a child on your own?” 

“Considering I would be raising her in the mortal embodiment of hell of earth, yes.” Hades spoke plainly. “You are not trapped here, wife. You have committed no crime.” 

“Neither has she, and she cannot go without a mother. Not if she is to be a true child of prophecy.” 

“You would stay here? You would subject yourself to this torment, for a child that isn’t yours?” 

“Not all the time,” Persephone sighed almost sadly, like she wished she’d be able to change the way things are. “The seasons still change in Auradon, I must return in the spring, as I always do. But there is no reason that I cannot spend the winter months here. Our agreement may have been made a millennia ago, but it still stands.” 

“I could still send her back to her mother.” 

“But we both know that you will not.” Persephone lifted her hand from Mal’s hair and instead placed it on Hades cheek, caressing him in a gesture she had not made in centuries. “I know of your capacity for love, my husband. I would not have agreed to spend half a year with you if I did not. Whether you can admit it to yourself or not, you love this child. You will have to raise her as a warrior, yes, but a warrior with a heart of love is better than a soldier with a heart of ice.” 

Hades remained silent, his eyes closed as he basked in the presence of the woman he’d loved for as long as the seasons have changed. A love he’d forgotten in his futile quest for power. He knew what his decision was, he’d known before Persephone had arrived. 

“I’ll have to prepare a room for her, it will take time to gather supplies. Resources are limited here.” 

“I can stay with her while you go. I’d like to get to know my step-daughter anyway, since I’ll be spending half of my time here with her.” Persephone easily lifted the sleeping girl, watching a scowl of concern cross Hades’ brow. “What is it?” 

“She has been asleep for a long time, longer than she should.” 

“You said she used the shadows to get to you, yes? The power that took probably exhausted her. She will wake when she is ready.” Persephone stroked the girls head with the feather-light touch of a mother. “Try to find purple bedding, will you? Dark purple, that won’t clash with her hair.” 

Hades stared at her incredulously for a moment, before shaking his head with a slight chuckle. Some things never changed, Persephone had had the same focus when she first came to the underworld. Black, grey, and brown were apparently still not a color scheme she agreed with. 

“I will return soon.” 

“Take your time.” 

Hades silently slipped into the shadows that would carry him to the markets, if such a thing could truly exist on an isle of thieves, wondering how his life on the Isle had taken such a drastic turn in such a short time. 

**\----**

By the time Hades returned to his underground home, laden with items he had both stolen and bartered for, Mal had finally awoken. She was perched in Persephone’s lap, her back straighter and far more tense than a child should ever be. Persephone’s hold on her was loose, only enough to ensure that she didn’t topple backwards if she tried to move too quickly. Taking in Persephone’s expression, Hades knew that his suspicions had been confirmed. Whatever Maleficent had done that left Mal clinging to shadows, it had made the little girl wary of physical touch. 

“There you are,” Persephone’s voice was exaggeratedly soft, not too loud and alerting Mal to another presence in the room before Hades could scare her by speaking suddenly. “Mal, do you remember him?” 

Mal nodded, her lips pressed together in what Hades assumed was an effort to keep from making any noise. 

“You can speak, little dragon,” Hades softened his voice and his stance. “I will not hurt you.” 

“Promise?” The girl’s voice was quivering, small and soft. Hades hadn’t known that a simple word could break his godly heart until he heard her speak. 

“I promise,” Hades set his load down, kneeling before the throne so he and Mal were just about eye-to-eye, Persephone watching with shining eyes. “Do you know who I am?” 

“Seph said that you’re my daddy,” Mal looked up at the woman holding her for a moment. Persephone offered her a smile, nodding to encourage her. “But Mommy says I don’t have a daddy.” 

“You did not before, because I did not know about you. But I am here now, I will take care of you, if you want me too.” 

“But I have to go. Mommy will use the scepter on me if I not home when she wants me.” 

“Scepter?” Hades asked softly. “Mal, did your mommy hurt you?” 

“Mommy make me strong,” Mal said, her tiny chest puffing out with a façade of pride. “I strong when I don’t cry. Mommy proud when she sees my marks.” 

“Can we see them, too?” Persephone asked, her voice soft. Mal seemed overly proud and was all too happy to comply with the request, letting Persephone hold up the back of her shirt. 

If his powers were not dampened by the barrier, Hades is sure that his rage would have burned the Isle to the ground as he took in the sight of his daughter’s back, so covered in black and blue that he could hardly see her pale skin. With her shirt moved away, it was also clear to see that Mal was badly malnourished. Hades could count her ribs. 

“Daddy not proud?” Mal asked, reading the expression on Hades’ face. 

“No, I mean yes. I am proud of you, but not because of the marks. I am proud because you came to me.” Hades cleared his throat, meeting Persephone’s eyes over Mal’s head. If he hadn’t made a decision before, he would have made it right then. There was no way he would send his daughter back to Maleficent. “But, I would like it even more if you stayed with me.” 

“Stay?” 

“Yes,” Hades moved away for a moment, collecting an item from the pile on the floor, one that he had grabbed on a whim. The toy was soft, made of a plush material that was smooth against his skin and stuffed with cotton. He’d debated with himself on getting this particular creature, but he’d decided that he couldn’t ignore the other half of his daughter’s heritage. The coloration was different enough that Mal wouldn’t recognize it as an example of her mother, if she even knew of Maleficent's other form. The dragon was blue rather than black, the purple highlights almost a match for Mal’s hair. “I have this, and other things for you.” 

“A dragon! Like Mommy?” 

Well that answered that question. 

“No, a dragon like you, a dragon for you. To protect you.” Hades glanced up at Persephone again, uncertainty clouding his eyes. “If you stay with me, the dragon will keep you safe. You won’t have to get more marks to be strong.” 

“No scepter?” 

“No scepter,” Hades confirmed, “nothing that will harm you.” 

“Seph stay too?” 

“I cannot stay all the time, little one.” Persephone let the girls shirt drop back down as she played with the stuffed dragon. “But I will be here as often as I can, and I promise that I will never harm you.” 

“What do you say, little dragon?” Hades felt a smile stretch his lips, the muscles feeling tense from lack of use. “Will you stay here with Daddy?” 

Mal nodded her agreement, her attention now focused on the toy in her hands. Hades felt his shoulders sag with relief, feeling Persephone’s hand on his shoulder. She squeezed gently. “Well, then, we must get your room ready.” 

“Yes, but dinner first,” Hades gestured to the door that led to what passed as a kitchen on the Isle. “I will put her bed together while you eat.” 

“Of course,” Persephone stood up, Mal in her arms and turned towards the kitchen door. Hades followed after them, half rotten fruit carried in his hands. Persephone looked at the fruit distastefully, waving her hand at them as Hades set them down on the table. They reverted back to a ripened form, Persephone’s powers not at all limited in the same way that Hades’ were. The selection still left much to be desired, a measly pile of grapes, a single banana and two apples. They’d have to set up a way to keep Mal nourished until she could find a way to get food for herself. Perhaps Persephone could have a talk with her mother. 

Mal scarfed down all the food she was given greedily, acting as if she’d never eaten in her short life. By the state of her, that wasn’t far from the truth. Already exhausted again by the time Hades was done setting up Mal’s new room, the girl was already slipping back to sleep when Persephone carried her to be put to bed. 

“She has already been broken by this place.” Hades spoke bitterly from the doorway to Mal’s bedroom. He kept his voice low so to not disturb his daughter, but Persephone standing beside him could hear perfectly. 

“Bruised, not broken. There is still time and you can teach her to defend herself, so that she can fight back when this place comes for her again.” 

“And what if her mother comes for her?” Hades crossed his arms over his chest, the leather he wore flexing as he moved. “Maleficent still has power here, by influence alone if nothing else.” 

“But Maleficent cannot reach her here, only one with a connection to the shadows can get in, you made sure of that.” 

“So I keep her trapped here?” 

“No, you train her here, so that when she goes out she will be able to return,” Persephone let herself lean against her husband, pushing her weight against him so that he was forced to wrap an arm around her in order to hold her up properly. “Give her the love I know you to be capable of. If the prophecy is to come true, she will handle the rest.” 

“I hope you are right.” 

The newly-reunited couple stood there for a while longer, watching their new daughter sleep soundly in her new bed, the dragon plush tucked close to her chest. Silent promises were made by both of them in that moment. Persephone promised to love Mal as she would her own daughter, to be there as often as she could and to make the best of this awful situation that Mal was born into. Hades promised to raise Mal to be someone who could take care of herself and others, a person capable of fulfilling the prophecy but who remains unburdened with a predetermined destiny. He promises to love her the best that he can and he hopes that it will be enough for his little dragon to earn her freedom. 

It will be a long, long journey to the light. 


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you guys for all the comments and kudos! I hope you guys enjoy reading this as much as I enjoy writing it. This chapter is a little shorter than the first but I didn't want to have too many things happening at once. 
> 
> Happy reading and please let me know what you think!

At six years old, Mal had lived a life as close to privileged as one could be on the Isle of the Lost. She was aware that her parents loved her, despite her father having a more difficult time showing it. Mal had enough food to eat and a warm place to sleep, a hideout where no one could reach her and, now that she had a bit more control, a way of moving about the Isle without being detected by anyone. Mal was an oddity when it came to Isle life in many ways, yet in many others she was exactly like every other Isle kid. 

Mal was a fighter, not necessarily by nature but because she had to be. Being quick on her feet was all well and good, but it wouldn’t always keep her safe. Her father had warned her about relying too much on the shadows again and again. Just because there were a multitude of shadows to hide within around the Isle didn’t mean that they were all safe. It is a lesson that Mal is slow to take to heart. 

The shadows that offer Mal refuge do not do the same for the rest of the children on the Isle. Mal can see them when she steps through, cowering and shaking in corners. Their clothes are ill-fitting and torn, hanging from their too-small bodies. Some of them cry or whimper but even more of them don’t make a sound. They’ve already learned that weakness, be it real or apparent, is the most dangerous emotion to feel on the Isle. If they were older, or if more of them had grown up in the way that Mal did, they’d understand that weakness is actually the second most dangerous emotion. On an Isle full of the most hateful creatures to ever roam the lands, the most dangerous emotion is love, and love is what Mal has more experience with than most Isle children. Love, a childish ideal of thinking that everyone knows what it is to be loved, is what motivates the young dragon into action. 

She has to be careful, quick and steady. The leather layered in her clothing will keep her safe from most blunt hits, but Mal has seen the people that carry swords around. She knows the feel of one in her hands. Hades knew that he couldn’t keep Mal within their hideout forever and had taken steps to prepare her for venturing out. Even at only 6 years old, Mal was capable and independent. She was smart too. She was careful not to venture too far from the shadows, knowing that if word of her presence anywhere spread fast enough, Maleficent would come for her. 

In the months following Mal’s disappearance three years ago, Maleficent had nearly torn the Isle apart looking for her wayward daughter. Not because she worried for Mal’s safety, nor because she simply loved her daughter and wanted her home. No, as time continued to march on it became apparent that the children of the Isle were only valuable because of what they could do for their parents. Children were thieves and thugs, child soldiers only worth training if they provided something. Maleficent had lost a valuable tool the first time Mal slipped into the shadows and found her father, a tool that Maleficent couldn’t replace now. Even if Maleficent had another child, they would be too young to rise to the position of power that Maleficent craved. She wouldn’t be able to keep the children in line the way she could keep the adults. 

As Mal learned to control her travels through shadows, she heard the whispers that floated around her. People tended to tell secrets in the darkest of places, unaware that the shadows have ears. Anyone who saw her, knew who she was. Her likeness to her mother was undeniable and her disappearance had led to an infamous reputation around the Isle. Mal may have been hidden but she wasn’t unknown. Every time she stepped out of the shadows, she ran the risk of being taken by surprise. Everyone knew that the reward for finding Mal and returning her to her mother would be grand, far greater than anything else in the hell they called home. Mal had returned home bruised and battered a few times before, when she wasn’t as quick and her control of shadows wasn’t as good as it is now. 

She discovers that the best time for her to emerge from the shadows is right at dusk. The perpetual cloud cover around the Isle ensures that there is never much light around, but the shadows have a longer reach at dusk. There are more places to hide, different areas that Mal can move to undetected. More areas that she can reach and more whispers that she can hear. This is the time that she gains the most wares from the markets, when she can claim the least rotten fruit for herself. This is the time that she can be more than another child on the Isle. 

This is the time that she hears another child’s cry. 

The sound sticks out in Mal’s mind simply because it is one that she has heard before. Mal has heard other children cry before, but she usually only hears each child once. By the time they would cry again, they have learned to do so silently. This cry is different, a cry not born of pain. This is a cry of sadness and hunger, a cry that burrows deep into the parts of Mal’s heart that she can’t yet understand. A cry that Mal knows she has to follow as surely as she knows that she shouldn’t. The shadow path that leads to the source of the sound is already open before her and Mal steps through it. 

There is a girl on the other side, no older than Mal herself but already sitting with all the poise and beauty of a young princess. It’s the first thing that comes to Mal’s mind when she sees her, blue hair spilling in long curls across her back. She looks like a princess, not the ones that live in Auradon in the perfect castles and palaces, but the ones that her mom tells her about when she stays with them in the winter. The princesses whose beauty surpasses all others, whose voices can make the seasons change, and whose people love them because of their goodness and kindness. The princesses who were destined to be Queens one day. 

If Mal hadn’t been cut off from her fae heritage, from the dragon that lives inside her, for all of her life, she would have felt the first flicker of fire within her heart at the sight of this young girl. 

“Don’t cry, Princess,” Mal whispers and lets the shadow carry her voice into the room where the girl sits. She sees the girls back stiffen, a sound like she is trying to stifle her cries falling from tense lips. 

Mal moves closer to the shadow opening, intending on stepping through when approaching footsteps warn her to stay back. 

She recognizes the woman who steps into the little girl’s room, but only from the stories that her father had told her. The black cowl and fake crown on her head, as well as the heavy coating of what passes as makeup on the Isle tell Mal everything she needs to know. This woman is the Evil Queen, which makes the girl her daughter, though Mal can’t remember her name. 

“Crying is unbecoming of a Queen,” the woman sneers, “Dry your eyes, and sit up straight.” She finishes the command with a sharp hit from a long, thin stick that she carries with her. The girl follows the order silently, obediently. Mal has already decided that she doesn’t like the Evil Queen. 

“Now, you must stop blubbering about your party Evie. We have no need to incite Maleficent's rage against us. None of the children are to be celebrated,” Evil Queen says ‘children’ with the expression that one might make while looking at animal droppings on their shoe, “until Mal has returned to her mother’s care. Am I understood?” 

“Yes, Mother,” the girl, Evie, responds promptly. Her voice, Mal thinks, is just as pretty as the rest of her. 

Standing in the protective shadows that have kept her hidden for the past three years, Mal makes what she will later come to view as her first reckless decision. The first act that could have blown up in her face, horribly at that, but one that Mal would never bring herself to regret. Mal waits until the Evil Queen is done speaking at her daughter, and then waits a little longer just to be sure she won’t come back, before she carefully steps out of the shadows and into the little girl’s room. 

Evie is highly vigilant, as all Isle children are, and turns towards the shadows as soon as Mal has stepped through. Evie’s brown eyes study the girl, her eyebrows coming together in a small furrow as she observes the blue-purple haired girl that is suddenly in her bedroom. 

“You’re Mal,” Evie says after a moment of careful study. Mal nods. 

“You’re Evie.” There’s a flash of surprise on Evie’s face that fades quickly, but not fast enough that Mal doesn’t notice it. 

“How’d you get in here?” Evie asks, her voice low. Mal sees the way Evie is still sitting straight and proper and realizes that she must be ready for her mother to come bursting back in at any time. She’s speaking in a whisper to keep that from happening too soon. 

“I heard you crying through the shadows and followed the sound here.” For a moment, Mal regrets saying anything about the shadows. She knows that she’s not supposed to say anything about how she moves around the Isle on the off chance that she is discovered. No one can know that Hades, and by extension Mal, have access to their powers, however limited. Knowledge like that is dangerous in the wrong hands. “I’ve heard you cry before and wanted to check on you, I guess.” 

Mal looks almost sheepish and Evie feels something like affection course through her veins. Evie has met some of the other children on the Isle before, they’ve all been integrated to see if Mal had come to them or if they had seen Mal around. Most of the other kids didn’t care about one another, half of them barely cared about themselves. They already knew the most important rule on the Isle, don’t care for anyone. It was the best way to survive. But Mal, Evie could tell, Mal was different. 

Mal. despite growing up in hell on earth, had managed to be someone who cared about other people. She cared about Evie, cared enough to come out of wherever she was hiding to check on her. Cared enough to place herself in the same home as Maleficent's right hand on the Isle, Evil Queen doing everything for the Mistress of Evil in a bid to gain more power for herself. Mal cared and Evie was fairly certain that no one had ever cared for her the way Mal did now. 

Evie was so wrapped up in the silent contemplation of Mal that she almost missed Mal asking her why she was crying. 

“I wanted to have a birthday party,” Evie said softly, her cheeks darkening slightly at the admission. “But children aren’t allowed to be celebrated. Maleficent’s orders.” 

“Why would she order something like that?” Mal couldn’t remember a time when her birthday hadn’t been celebrated now, although she didn’t think the date was quite right. They always celebrated on the anniversary of the day Mal had made her way to Hades through the shadows. 

“Because of you,” Evie shrugged. “She lost her daughter and she hasn’t had any more kids.” 

The answer wasn’t any less confusing but Mal shook that off for now. She could ask her dad about it later, or maybe Persephone. She should be home soon. Instead, Mal focused on how sad she was that Evie was sad, and acted on that. 

“I’m sorry you can’t have a party,” Mal said softly, but then her face brightened as an idea struck her. “But maybe you can have one, with me.” 

“What? How?” 

“Come with me through the shadows. Come home with me.” 

“I can’t just leave, Mal.” 

“Why not?” Mal had an impish smile on her face and for the first time Evie thought that everyone was wrong. Mal looked nothing like her mother. “I did, and I can always bring you back if you want me too.” 

Well, Mal thought she could bring her back. She’d never taken anyone through the shadows with her before but she thought it was possible. Hades had never said that she couldn’t bring someone home with her, so she didn’t see a problem. 

“But my mother…” Evie trailed off, unsure why she was protesting to begin with. Of course, there is always the chance that the Evil Queen will come calling on Evie any time, day or night, she usually doesn’t bother if she knows Evie is upset. Since Evie had been crying, it could be as much as a day before her mother will come looking for her again. Besides that, it’s not like Evie wants her mother to come calling again. She had only raised her voice a little before. Evie knows that if her mother comes back, something much worse than yelling will happen. “You promise to bring me back?” 

“If that’s what you want,” Mal nodded her head and held out her hand to Evie. When Evie looked at her questioningly, Mal chuckled. “You have to hold my hand, Princess, so you don’t get lost in the shadows.” 

“Oh,” A brief of flash fear raced across Evie’s features but she took Mal’s hand anyway and let the smaller girl pull her to her feet. 

“Don’t let go of me,” Mal said as she walked both of them to the corner of Evie’s room, pressing her palm into the shadow there to open the pathway. 

“I won’t.” 

With Evie’s promise sealed by a squeeze of the hand she had wrapped around Mal’s, the two girls stepped into the shadows. 

**___**

Even with Mal’s hand tightly holding hers, Evie feels more than a little dizzy when they emerge from the shadows in Mal’s underground home. She releases Mal’s hand and stumbles forward on unsteady legs, heaving like her measly dinner is going to make a second appearance. The noise attracts Hades to Mal’s bedroom, where he stops short in the doorway once he sees the girl accompanying Mal. 

“Mal,” Hades speaks to his daughter in a commanding but not unkind tone. It’s the tone he uses when he wants an explanation and Mal can never tell if what she did will be celebrated or will get her in trouble. 

“Dad, I can explain,” Mal begins, her small hands resting against Evie’s back as she tries to soothe her new friend. “Evie was crying and her mom came and yelled at her and I heard them through the shadows. When Evie was alone, I went through and talked to her. She was crying because Maleficent won’t let children celebrate their birthdays and Evie really wanted to celebrate so I said she could come celebrate with me.” 

Hades blinked at Mal’s rapid fire explanation, raising his eyebrows in amusement when Mal took a huge breath after she was done explaining why there was another girl in her bedroom. Part of him wanted to be mad at his daughter for bringing someone into their sanctuary. This was the only place on the Isle that Mal was truly safe from everyone that wished to bring her harm, the biggest threat being her own mother. Mal couldn’t be safe if other people were coming into their safe place. 

But Hades knew he couldn’t be mad at his daughter for what she had done. If anything, Mal rescuing a crying child over something as simple as a birthday party was proof that Hades was not raising his daughter to be a cold-hearted soldier. While Hades had been making a conscious effort to not let the prophecy spoken over Mal by Apollo dictate the majority of his actions, the words are always there in the back of his mind. Truthfully, Hades has no idea how to raise a child to have a pure heart, besides not being fully sure what that means, but he knows that Mal won’t be completing the prophecy alone. Four hearts as one, that was what Apollo said, and Hades had a feeling that he had just met the second one of those hearts. 

“Did anyone see you?” Hades asked after a moment of silence, watching as Mal continued to check on her new friend even though he was sure Mal thought she was in trouble. 

“No, I only went into her bedroom and Evil Queen was gone the whole time I was there.” Well, that answered the question of whose child his daughter had made friends with. “I’ll take her home after we celebrate.” 

“Very well,” Hades agreed. “We can’t have a birthday party without a cake and luckily, your mother should be here any moment now.” 

“Why is it lucky that I’m here?” Persephone asked as she walked into the room, stopped next to Hades. 

“Mommy!” Mal cheered and ran to hug her step-mother, momentarily leaving Evie’s side only to return a few seconds later after she had been released from her mother’s hold. “We need you to make a cake for Evie.” 

“Which must be you,” Persephone offered the blue-haired girl holding Mal’s hand a smile. “What occasion calls for cake?” 

“It’s Evie’s birthday!” Mal cheered and then paused, looking at her new friend. “Wait, is today actually your birthday?” 

“Yes,” Evie chuckled softly. “That’s why I was upset. The party was supposed to be this morning.” 

“Well, better late than never,” Persephone glanced over at Hades just to make sure he was okay with the second little girl now in their home, but Persephone knew the heart of her husband better than anyone and she knew that he wouldn’t turn the girl away, at least not until after they had cake. “Mal, why don’t you show Evie to the kitchen and wash your hands. You can both help me make the cake.” 

“Really? Cool! C’mon, princess,” Mal used her grip on Evie’s hand to pull the blue-haired girl out of her bedroom, passing her parents on their way to the kitchen. Persephone stopped Hades from following after with a hand on his arm. 

“Are you really okay with this?” 

“I’m not sure,” Hades covered the hand resting on his arm with his own, releasing a quiet sigh. “Logically I knew that we would never be able to keep her here, and with the prophecy hanging over her head she had to make friends at some point.” 

“But you thought you had a few more years of having Mal to yourself.” Persephone squeezed her husband’s arm. 

“She knows nothing of the true danger of the Isle. I can’t protect her from that forever, I know that. But I guess I was hoping to protect her for a little longer.” 

“She’s only brought one child home,” Persephone pointed out. 

“Yes, but how long until she hears another child’s cry and decides that they need to be cheered up? How long until she brings someone here to stay?” Hades shook his head and then dropped it back, looking at the black stone ceiling above them. “Every time she ventures to the surface through the shadows, she’s putting herself in danger. One day she won’t be able to slip away so easily.” 

“Mal is smart, my love. Smart and resourceful and becoming a better warrior every day,” Persephone squeezed his arm again and leant closer to press her lips to his cheek. “One day she will have to fight, yes, but you are preparing her for that so when that day comes, Mal won’t come to any harm that she can’t heal from.” 

“I know you’re right,” Hades admitted after a silent moment of contemplating the ceiling. “I just fear that the day Mal will have to fight is going to be here sooner than she’s ready for.” 

“She will be ready,” Persephone said without an ounce of uncertainty. “I have no doubt that Mal will face her destiny head on whether she knows of the prophecy or not. It will be you who needs to prepare, my love.” 

“Me?” Hades raised a skeptical eyebrow. 

“Yes, you. You are her father, your instinct is to protect her. But you can’t protect her from her destiny. You have to be ready to let her step out of the shadows on her own, and have faith that she will be able to stand in the light.” 

Leaving her husband to ponder her words, Persephone followed the sounds of two girls giggling to the kitchen and helped them wash their hands (rather than splashing water at each other, like they had been doing.) From her time on Olympus during the spring and summer, Persephone knew a little more about Auradon and the people on the Isle of the Lost than Hades did. With that knowledge, and learning that Evie was the daughter of the Evil Queen, Persephone feels rather certain that her little Dragon has found her Queen. 

Though, she decides as Hades finally joins the three of them in the kitchen, she won’t tell her husband that just yet. 


End file.
